Boston it is! 2014 Nationals

[lamarenee]

I was going to ask when tickets are going on sale, but then I noticed this in the official USFS press release:

Tickets to the 2014 U.S. Championships will be available later this summer.

[Carolla5501]

FINALLY a U.S. Nationals on the East Coast in a REAL MAJOR CITY! First time since Boston ca-2001!

Woohoo!!!!

I think that Atlanta counts as a MAJOR CITY LOL!

I think this should read "FINALLY a U.S. Nationals on the East Coast in a "PLACE I LIKE" " LOL!

[kwanfan1818]

I think that Atlanta counts as a MAJOR CITY LOL!

I think this should read "FINALLY a U.S. Nationals on the East Coast in a "PLACE I LIKE" " LOL!

I didn't realize that Atlanta was on the East Coast. I learn something new every day on FSU.

[snoopysnake]

Yay! I may actually get to see a hometown nationals in my lifetime after all. (Work obligations pulled me away from seeing all but the beginning of it in 2001.) I have been retired for the last 8 years but may have to be returning to work soon...but I will have a new requirement for any work that I do that I will be free in January of 2014.

I can help with info about the MBTA (the T) and in weeks to come will try to identify hotels that are at the stops on it.

This will be a great chance for Ross Miner to try to make an Olympic team on his home ice!

[Theatregirl1122]

I didn't realize that Atlanta was on the East Coast. I learn something new every day on FSU.

How would Georgia not be on the East Coast? It has a coast. On the Atlantic. On the Eastern side of the country.

[sk8mvn]

I know in the USFSA document soliciting bids for 2014 Nats, the USFSA said that the senior events would be competed before novice and junior events (although the tentative schedule in this same document stretched over nine days and still had the senior events the first weekend, whereas Boston has been announced to be seven days). Does anyone know if they will compete the senior event finals on the last weekend, as has been traditional, or if they'll do it this other way in 2014? I know there was an FSU thread about this earlier this year, but can't find it.

I remember it snowing a lot the last time I was at Boston Nationals, and getting snow in the boot I was wearing for my broken foot

[kwanfan1818]

How would Georgia not be on the East Coast? It has a coast. On the Atlantic. On the Eastern side of the country.

Savannah, which is actually on the coast, I could see. Atlanta is inland; I might say Buffalo or Syracuse is in the East, but I would never say it was on the East Coast, even though New York is partially on the East Coast.

All of which is pretty irrelevant when it comes to figure skating events, since it's not much longer to fly to St. Louis from NYC, for example, than it is to Atlanta, and another 40 minutes to get to Minneapolis, all of which are hubs, and all under three hours direct. I don't see why Boston is that much more convenient for someone in Atlanta than for someone in Minneapolis, Chicago, etc. so I don't see the importance of lumping Boston together with Atlanta, just as lumping Portland and Phoenix as "USFS prefers the West" would be equally irrelevant.

[Theatregirl1122]

Generally the East Coast is those states which border the ocean on the Eastern side of the country. Not the cities which border the ocean. I'm sure that everyone would say that SA in Hartford was "on the east coast" despite the fact that the city of Hartford, is, of course, not on the ocean.

[Lara]

It's really more about it being in the Northeast (and thus within driving distance for those in New England and the MidAtlantic) than the East Coast in general.

SA 2005/2007/2009 and then Boston 2014, you have to admit that's not a large amount of events in 10 years considering the size of the skating community.

[TanithandBenFan]

I know in the USFSA document soliciting bids for 2014 Nats, the USFSA said that the senior events would be competed before novice and junior events (although the tentative schedule in this same document stretched over nine days and still had the senior events the first weekend, whereas Boston has been announced to be seven days). Does anyone know if they will compete the senior event finals on the last weekend, as has been traditional, or if they'll do it this other way in 2014? I know there was an FSU thread about this earlier this year, but can't find it.

I remember it snowing a lot the last time I was at Boston Nationals, and getting snow in the boot I was wearing for my broken foot

The new dates show the event starting on a Sunday, so I think it will have the traditional schedule of novice and junior events first and senior events starting Thursday, Jan. 9.

[Frau Muller]

I think that Atlanta counts as a MAJOR CITY LOL!

I think this should read "FINALLY a U.S. Nationals on the East Coast in a "PLACE I LIKE" " LOL!

Atlanta is inland-south. Not at all considered an East Coast city. It's not just geographical, too. It's 'the Southern Way' too. By East-Coast corridor, I think the big metropolitan blue-suited towns...the Boston-NYC-Philly-Baltimore-DC corridor and points in between, such as Hartford. Anything south of DC -- Richmond, Norfolk, Charleston, Jacksonville, etc. -- is The South. Geographically and Culturally.

[kwanfan1818]

Do people in Georgia consider themselves on the East Coast, or in the South? Granted, I only know a few dozen people from Georgia, but not one considers him- or herself an East Coaster, and most of the people I know who didn't move from NY to Florida don't consider themselves East Coasters either: Florida seems to be it's own animal. I always thought of Hartford as New England, but that may be from growing up in the Mid-Atlantic.

It's really more about it being in the Northeast (and thus within driving distance for those in New England and the MidAtlantic) than the East Coast in general.

SA 2005/2007/2009 and then Boston 2014, you have to admit that's not a large amount of events in 10 years considering the size of the skating community.

Not only the size of the skating population and number of clubs but the general and fan populations that have access to both public transportation and reasonable drives.

When people talk about the same thing for West Coast, and lump events in California and Portland, Seattle, Spokane into the same bucket, it's a bit , since people in San Jose don't expect to drive to Kent as a general rule (14-18 hours), and it's a 22 hour 55 minute train trip from Oakland to Seattle, and it's not much different fly to Denver, LA, or Phoenix from there. The Vancouver/Seattle/Portland corridor is its own discrete transportation animal, like the Northeast Corridor (except slower and interrupted by mud slides and freight trains which share the tracks) and apart from the largesse from the Olympics, now that hockey has re-taken the arenas back in Vancouver, we are lucky that cities in the PNW bid on events.

[kwanatic]

Most people refer to Atlanta as the South...not necessarily the east coast though it makes sense b/c we're located in the eastern part of the US.

I live in Atlanta and I'm crossing my fingers that they'll bring the US championships or SA back here at some point. I wasn't able to attend in 2004 when Michelle had that phenomenal skate; it was my freshmen year at GA Southern so I was several hours away in Statesboro, GA. I really hope they visit the south again...at some point in life. I'd have to round up a couple of people to go with, but I know for sure I'd go.

[Carolla5501]

I didn't realize that Atlanta was on the East Coast. I learn something new every day on FSU.

I am pretty sure it would be considered East Coast by most of America. It's about 4 hours from the Atlantic ocean...

Of course it's South East so maybe the "yippee" was for a "NorthEast" city.

But since ATL is on the Eastern time zone... I think to most of us it's East Coast

That said, I live here now and don't see the Nationals coming back anytime soon. Can't see the support is there.

[maureenfarone]

Yay! I may actually get to see a hometown nationals in my lifetime after all. (Work obligations pulled me away from seeing all but the beginning of it in 2001.) I have been retired for the last 8 years but may have to be returning to work soon...but I will have a new requirement for any work that I do that I will be free in January of 2014.

I can help with info about the MBTA (the T) and in weeks to come will try to identify hotels that are at the stops on it.

This will be a great chance for Ross Miner to try to make an Olympic team on his home ice!

I've never been to Boston, but hope to attend Nationals 2014. Any help you or others can provide about the MBTA will be greatly appreciated.

[zaphyre14]

Given the budget debates that rage over transportation every year, I would keep in mind that much of the current information on MBTA routes and schedules might not still be in effect in 2014. And who knows what the LOC might be organizing themselves.

[Carolla5501]

I would not assume there will be any LOC shuttles for fans. It's pretty evident that USFS is trying to get out of that business....

[missing]

Do I remember correctly? Will the ice dancers be doing the Finnstep in 2014?

[kirkbiggestfan]

I've never been to Boston, but hope to attend Nationals 2014. Any help you or others can provide about the MBTA will be greatly appreciated.

The garden is connected to a subway station and a commuter rail station. There has been budget cuts that will mostly affect the commuter rail during the week-end. The green and orange subway lines run up to 1am and are very convenient. Sadly, there is no direct subway line that goes from North Station to the convention center. It is a bit of a a challenge for out of towners. You'd have to take the silver line bus connecting to South station and then 2 quick subways. I would say a 20 to 30 minute that way, when it may only be a 5 minute drive with a car. They may have special events buses though...the skating club of Boston tends to be very well organised, so I am sure they will come up with solutions.

[maureenfarone]

Given the budget debates that rage over transportation every year, I would keep in mind that much of the current information on MBTA routes and schedules might not still be in effect in 2014. And who knows what the LOC might be organizing themselves.

Thanks for reminder about budgets and such. I guess I am more interested in the routes and which hotels might be close to stations, just general stuff. Right now I have no idea if my budget will allow this let alone what the Mass. transportation and the LOC are going to deal with.

Its fun to do some generally planning and dreaming. I hope the dates published mean events won't go over 2 weekends like they did in Spokane 2010.